Means for the manufacture of pads or sheets composed of fibers of kapok or the like materials



N. MIMS RE OF PADS OR SHEETS COMPOS K OR THE LIKE MATERIALS June 149, 1934 (Myles jl @Mw orlg.

" June 30, 1936.

MEANS FOR THE MANUFACTU OF FIBERS OF KAPO Filed Patented June '30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE R SHEETS COltfPOSED 0F FIBERS 0F KAPOK 0R THE LIKE MATERIALS Charles Norman Minis, Paris, France Application June 19, 1934, Serial No. 731,338

In France February '7, 1934 4 Claims. (Cl. 112-2) It is known that the working-up of pure kapok into sheets, owing to the nature of kapok bers, can not be effected in the same manner as the working-up of wool or cotton into sheets. A

special contrivance is necessary for the purpose, so as to allow the kapok ber to retain its length and to avoid breaking it and thus causing it to lose its valuable properties.

The subject-matter of the present invention l0 is a means for the manufacture of pads or sheets composedof kapok or the like bers, which enables these products to be made available as wadding, in which form they may be applied to a large number of uses.

The sheet made in this way retains its uniform nature. The fibers are not' broken, which is the most important feature, and the sheet so made weighs about one-sixth of a similar sheet made of cotton or wool. It is impervious, unattacked by parasites, an insulator of heat and cold, and is moreover very buoyant in water.

According to the invention the kapok is freely laid in a more or less thick layer between two 4plates provided with slits, which enable lines of stitches to be sewn very quickly by a sewing means, so as to join the bers together without .breaking them.

It is an essential feature of the invention, that no other pressure is exerted upon the layer of the assembled kapok except that of the needle holder or specially made presser-foot at the moment of the needle sewing stitches across the sheet.

The stitching can be done directly on the bare sheets or on fabrics which hold them.

It can'moreover be effected through one or two sheets of paper, which are afterwards torn o along the stitched lines when they have assisted in holding the kapok together and facilitated its working-up into pads or sheets. The invention will be better understood by means of the following description and with reterence ,to the accompanying drawing which shows:

- Figure 1 is a. top plan view of the pressing plate,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the present invention in use,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2 and Figure 4 is a top plan view of the adjustable pressing plate.

The device according to the invention comprises a frame formed by two plates I and 2, held one over the other by means of pins 3 fastened on the lower plate I.

The plates I and 2 are provided with longitudinal openings 4, which lie over each other in the two plates.

The plate 2 moves freely in a vertical direction on the pins 3, which may be formed by round, square or rectangular bars, or even by 5 small plates whichv pass through openings 3' in -Y Y the plate 2.

'Ihe pins are arranged on one side only of the frame, which permits three sides of the frame to be left free. 10

The apparatus is very simple to use.

The kapok is spread in small tufts on the plate I, care being taken not to breakthe bers. Then when a certain height has been reached, the plate 2 is put into position over the kapok, 15 the pins 3 being inserted in the holes of the plate 2. l

The 1 whole frame can then be movedand placed upon a sewing machine, which may be of the ordinary household type, workroom 'type or 20 of the special type used by harness-makers, or special type, depending on the thickness of the sheet. l

On the machine there is arranged a pressure foot 1 fitted with a base having two rollers, or 25 shoes or a foot 8 with rollers 9. The rollers 9 travelling over the several solid parts 5 of the plate 2 and which are situated on both sides of the openings 4 wherein the needle I0 works as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The base part used thus 30 presses on the plate 2 and compresses the kapok II so as to keep it from moving during the sewing operation.

'I'he length of the needle to be used obviously depends on the thickness of sheet formed. 35

The kapok may be placed directly into the frame and sewn bare, or a cloth may be put over the top part, or again two cloths may be used, one on each side of the pad.

I'wo sheets of paper, one on each side of the 40 pad, may likewise be used in order to facilitate the assembly of the kapok between the plates I- and 2. 'I'he pad and the papers may be stitched together, and the papers may afterwards be easily torn away along the stitched lines, so as to leave 45 the pad or sheet bare on its two surfaces.

It is obvious that a cloth and a sheet of paper could also be used in combination, as well as any other material (skin, flexible substance, etc.)

The dimensions of the plates are slightly 50 larger than those which the finished sheets are to have. Thus, in order to obtain sheets having a width of 50 cm. the frame will have to be about cm., owing to the edges of the plates and the pins. The sheets may however have a greater 55 width than the frame, since this isopen on three sides to give a clear passage to thepad; The stitched pad can' in fact 'be slipped to one side and, after the plate 2 hasrbeen removed, a fresh quantity of kapok can be assembled which,'after the4 plate 2 has been repi'aced, will be stitched after the pad already made and joined to iti The sewing obtained with the frame shown in Figure 1 is perpendicularto the small sides of the rectangular pad.

If it is desired obtain oblique pads, in the shape of parallele-grams, a frame may be used which is adjustable in shape (Figure 4). In this casefthe plates are formed bythe bars 6, which aref hinged Vat their ends to the bars 'i forming the small sides.

'I'he sheets so made may be put to varied uses.

They be used for Ylining clothing, tapestriesand hangings, etc. I Y;

They can easily be used in the manufacture of lifesaving clothing'or apparatus.

"l'heyl can also be'used in articles of travel :and for lining trunks, Yto prevent the contentslfrom being spoiled by damp. I l;

'I'hey will make excellent stuiiing material for the upholstery of all kinds of motor-cars. l

They can" be usefully employed for heat-'insulating purposes inY footwear, in buildings and in connection with heating installations or ice-chests and refrigerators etc. j 'l 'I'he sheets can also be used with advantage to replace the wadding usedQfor medical purposes.

It `is evident that modifications of shape or of details may be made in apparatus described above by way of example only, without departthe most ing from the spirit Vof the invention.

What I `claim is: 1. In a device of the character described adapted to be used in connection with a sewing machine comprising a pair of opposed plates, said plates having longitudinal and aligning openings therein througli which may pass the needle of Y,the sewing machine, means for loosely connect- 5 fspacesbetween said bars may'extend at various l5 @angles from said means substantially asand for the purpose specified.

i 3. The combination with a sewing mal-chine of means for retaining pads or sheets composed of ilbers ofkapok or the like material comprising a-20 pair of plates having parallel longitudinal openings formed therein, means for ioosely connect- Wing said plates together, the needle of said sewing machine passing through said parallel openings and a plurality ofeompression rollers carl25 ried by thev sewing machine for applying pressure upon one of said plates in close proximity to the needle of the sewing machine.

4. The combination with a sewing machine for the formation of padsgor sheets composed of 30 iibers of'kapokg. of means for retaining a felted layer of said kapok while the fibers thereof are being sewed together, said means comprising an upper plate and a lower plate for receiving the kapok fibers therebetween, and means mounted 35 on saidlower piate for guiding said upper plate in a vertical direction for conserving the elasticity of the ners of kapok.

' CHARLES NORMAN MIMS. 

